The present invention relates to a method of printing a label provided on an optical disk, to an optical disk unit, and relates to an optical disk in which a label can be subjected to printing by utilization of a laser beam output from an optical disk unit.
In a recordable optical disk, information about contents recorded thereon (e.g., titles) is described on an optical disk by a user so that the recorded contents can be checked visually. In the case of a single-sided optical disk which is handled as a single disk without being housed in a cartridge, such as a CD-system optical disk i.e., a CD-R (CD recordable), a CD-RW (CD rewritable), etc. the information is usually written directly on a label surface of the optical disk with a pen. According to another method, information about recorded contents recorded are edited on a personal computer, and the contents are printed on a label with a printer. The label is then pasted to the label surface.
According to the method in which contents are written directly on the label surface of the disk, a recording layer is often damaged by a strong writing action effected by use of a stiff pencil. According to the method of printing a label with a printer, there is a necessity for using a printer.